◎You really didn’t have to scare me like that.◎

At 11:30 p.m., Fu Jiaxi completed the final revisions of the tender proposal and translated it into English, sending it simultaneously to Qin He.

Qin He replied instantly: “Received. Thank you for your hard work.”

After finishing her shower, she saw his praise: “Excellent work. We’re definitely going to secure the Osto project.”

Fu Jiaxi exhaled deeply, feeling a surge of energy fill her body. The fatigue of recent days dissipated completely.

Qin He sent another message: “I’ll be on a business trip for two days. You’ll handle the PPT creation. Contact me if there are any issues.”

Fu Jiaxi threw herself wholeheartedly into the task.

This wasn’t just Qin He’s first major battle—it was also a turning point for her to regain her full strength and confidence.

Thursday was the official bidding day for the Osto project.

By Tuesday night, the finalized PPT was completed and sent to Qin He.

Fifteen minutes later, Qin He replied with a single word: “Good.”

Fu Jiaxi asked, “Senior, when will you return to the company?”

The bidding was just two days away, and there were still details that needed face-to-face confirmation.

But by the time she woke up the next morning, there was no reply from Qin He on her phone.

As Yue Jiayi boarded the school bus, he turned back, blew her a kiss, and called out cheerfully, “Mommy, good luck!”

Fu Jiaxi felt warmth in her heart, and the inexplicable worry she had felt in the morning vanished.

After watching the school bus turn the corner, she walked to her car. Just a few steps in, her left foot suddenly twisted, sending a sharp, piercing pain through her leg.

“Ah—” Tears sprang to Fu Jiaxi’s eyes as she bent over, unable to straighten up for a while.

The ground was smooth, and she was wearing flat shoes—how could she possibly twist her ankle?

The pain subsided slightly; it didn’t seem too serious. Ignoring the discomfort, Fu Jiaxi drove to work, limping into the office.

Her colleagues expressed concern. “Are you okay, Jiaxi?”

“I just twisted my ankle. It’s fine—I’ll spray some medicine.” As she spoke, she opened her computer. “Send me the PPT file. In ten minutes, we’ll head to Director Qin’s office to discuss.”

“Jiaxi,” a young girl from the administrative department whispered hesitantly, “Director Qin isn’t here.”

“He hasn’t returned from his trip?” Fu Jiaxi paused her actions.

“He… he probably won’t be coming back.” The girl struggled to deliver the news. “I just checked the OA system—he submitted his resignation.”

Fu Jiaxi froze.

Before she could process this, the assistant to the CEO called her. “Jiaxi, please come to President Xu’s office.”

Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Fu Jiaxi knocked on the door and entered.

Seeing the grave expressions on the leaders’ faces, she already knew the answer.

“Qin He left abruptly and resolutely. I spoke to him once—he only said it was a personal decision. After that, he couldn’t be reached,” President Xu said, both angry and troubled. “The bidding is tomorrow. To abandon his post at such a critical moment shows a complete lack of integrity.”

Fu Jiaxi’s mind was in turmoil, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Where did he jump ship to?”

“Jinyu.”

Her heart sank heavily. “Jinyu—the company we’re bidding against?”

“Yes,” President Xu said gravely. “It seems it was premeditated. He must have made private arrangements with them.”

The special assistant beside him was indignant. “This violates industry ethics. We should expose his despicable actions.”

President Xu shook his head, sighing. “What’s the use? Changdi Securities is just a small fish in the vast ocean of the industry. Publicizing this won’t make any real impact. Besides, climbing higher and seeking better opportunities—it’s human nature.”

More importantly, the bidding was tomorrow.

With Qin He’s intimate knowledge of their proposal, their chances of success were significantly compromised.

Fu Jiaxi’s throat tightened, her thoughts swirling in an indescribable storm.

“Jiaxi…” President Xu hesitated before continuing. “About the Osto project…”

“I’ll take it,” she said firmly, lifting her head.

As the author of the proposal, Fu Jiaxi knew its contents inside and out. She was confident she could handle the role of lead presenter and deliver a flawless presentation.

At this point, all she could do was treat this as one of life’s many pitfalls. Falling into the darkest, dirtiest trench, she could only swim fiercely to survive—there was no room to be swallowed whole.

When Fu Jiaxi left the office, her team was disheartened and morale was low.

She remained unusually calm, acting as if nothing had happened. She organized meetings, pushed forward as usual, and continued refining the details.

Whenever her thoughts threatened to stall, she pinched her palm hard, forcing herself to focus. All emotions were fleeting clouds—useless distractions.

________________________________________

At nine o’clock on Thursday, the Osto Financial Building hosted the bidding session as scheduled.

Though not an enormous project, it involved overseas assets and foreign exchange settlements, making it a prime opportunity to boost the company’s reputation and expand its market presence. Companies were flocking to compete.

Entering the venue, Fu Jiaxi spotted Qin He sitting in the second row of section A, chatting animatedly with others.

This was his first appearance after being unreachable for two days.

Fu Jiaxi glanced at him—not with intense anger or the urge to confront him—but with a sense of disillusionment. Whether it was love or career, men were often like this.

Calmly taking her seat, she maintained a distance of two rows between them, neither acknowledging the other.

Changdi’s presentation was scheduled fifth, while Jinyu’s was third.

Thirty minutes later, Qin He took the stage as Jinyu’s representative.

After a brief introduction, he dove into the core explanation, projecting the PPT slides. His presentation style was polished and effortless.

But after two minutes, Fu Jiaxi’s head snapped up.

The demonstration path, framework structure, solution steps, and even the most valuable cost calculations—they overlapped with her proposal by at least seventy percent.

Cold sweat prickled her skin as her hands clenched into fists.

She was absolutely certain: Qin He had stolen the core content of Changdi’s proposal!

Qin He’s experience shone through, and his delivery was impeccable. After bowing and stepping down, the client representatives looked highly impressed.

Fu Jiaxi knew there was no turning back now.

During the fourth presentation, she quickly adjusted her strategy. Qin He had already taken the lead, so she had no choice but to discard and restructure her original content.

Against the current, sharpening the blade at the last minute, Fu Jiaxi took a deep breath and calmly stepped onto the stage—

“Hello everyone, I am the lead presenter for Changdi Securities’ tender proposal.”

…

Fifteen minutes later, her presentation ended smoothly. As she stepped off the stage, she received approving nods from the audience.

Though Fu Jiaxi managed to pull through under the emergency circumstances, she knew her performance couldn’t match Qin He’s polished delivery.

The puzzle seemed clear now.

During the intermission, Fu Jiaxi couldn’t swallow this injustice and finally cornered Qin He outside the restroom.

The bustling crowd glanced curiously at them.

Fu Jiaxi’s gaze remained cold and fixed on him.

Sensing the attention, Qin He suggested, “Let’s talk over there.”

In the elevator lobby, the marble floor shimmered under the light, dazzling and opulent.

Qin He stood in the radiant glow, calm and composed. “Junior Sister, I know what you want to ask. We’re no longer naive students with fiery ideals. Face reality bravely—it’s what adults do.”

Fu Jiaxi spoke bluntly. “Facing reality isn’t necessary; adapting is. What you’ve succumbed to is your own baseness.”

Qin He shrugged indifferently. “Define it however you like—I don’t care.”

Fu Jiaxi pressed, “How can you not fear being reported for such blatant overlap in your bid content?”

“Overlap? Plagiarism? Copying?” Qin He smirked. “Jiaxi, don’t be so naive. Our contents aren’t identical, and the ideas weren’t solely your creation. How will you prove anything?”

“I’ve kept every version,” Fu Jiaxi replied tightly, suppressing her anger. “I can definitely provide evidence.”

Qin He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “If you’ve kept records, don’t you think I have too?”

Fu Jiaxi froze, realization dawning like a sudden desert storm blanketed by snow.

From the moment Qin He took over the project, he had already set his trap.

Every version of the proposal was meticulously timestamped. Even if they were to face legal scrutiny, he had ample justification to defend himself. Moreover, since his presentation came before hers, the audience’s initial impression would naturally tilt in his favor.

Her sprained ankle throbbed painfully again, making every second feel like standing on the edge of a knife.

Qin He softened his tone slightly. “Besides, the bid wasn’t created by you alone—it was the collective effort of the entire team. Wasn’t I part of the team? Didn’t I attend every meeting? Didn’t I give feedback on every revision? And today, your impromptu performance was indeed impressive. If I hadn’t left midway, you wouldn’t have had this chance to shine, right, Junior Sister?”

Fu Jiaxi felt as though her chest was ablaze. “Don’t call me that. I don’t have such a shameless senior.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Inside the conference hall, the bidding continued. However, after all competitors finished their presentations, the results weren’t announced on the spot.

The organizer’s explanation:

The decision required further deliberation and would be announced the next day.

The reaction in the venue was muted—this was not uncommon.

But Qin He’s expression shifted ever so slightly.

And Fu Jiaxi’s heart surged like a drowning person spotting a lifeline.

She immediately drove to a place.

Baifeng Group.

Yue Jincheng was in the middle of a meeting with the engineering department when the technical director finished his presentation. His private phone vibrated on the table.

Seeing the caller’s name, Yue Jincheng paused momentarily, then raised his hand to halt the meeting.

He stood up and walked to the blinds-covered window to answer. “Jiaxi?”

The administrative front desk staff, fresh out of their internship, adhered strictly to protocol and refused entry without prior appointment. Fu Jiaxi, desperate, had no choice but to call Yue Jincheng directly.

Even the admin staff couldn’t have predicted that the boss himself would come down to escort her.

Fu Jiaxi was agitated, trying several times to speak. Yue Jincheng noticed her limping left leg and frowned. “What happened?”

“It’s minor—I twisted it yesterday.”

Hobbling toward the elevator, Fu Jiaxi intended to hop in on one leg.

Suddenly, Yue Jincheng reached out, steadying her arm and giving her support.

The turbulent agitation in Fu Jiaxi’s heart calmed slightly under his firm grip. As the LCD numbers ticked upward rhythmically, she organized her thoughts and succinctly recounted the events.

When the elevator doors opened, Fu Jiaxi instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

Yue Jincheng held firm, guiding her all the way to the president’s office.

“So, you want me to step forward and accuse him?” he asked.

“You gave suggestions for the proposal, especially the core cost content,” Fu Jiaxi said, her eyes blazing. “He can’t claim others’ work as his own!”

“What do you think I should do?” Yue Jincheng retrieved a first-aid kit from a lower cabinet and pulled out an ice pack from the mini-fridge. “Should I testify?”

“Yes.”

“Apply this first.”

The coldness of the ice pack sent a jolt through Fu Jiaxi.

“Don’t move.” Yue Jincheng crouched down, holding the ice pack in place, his tone steady. “What identity should I assume when stepping forward? I’m not an employee of your company, nor was I involved in this bid. In these kinds of proposals, any indicators, models, function structures, or calculation paths are hardly original creations.”

“But those were your suggestions!”

“Suggestions only,” Yue Jincheng countered, looking up at her steadily. “The organization of the text and its specific writing belong to Changdi Securities’ internal matters. Besides, if I intervene, do you think the other party won’t use it against you, accusing your proposal of not being ‘independently’ prepared?”

Fu Jiaxi clenched her lips, her voice trembling faintly. “Shameless.”

Yue Jincheng tilted his head, locking eyes with her.

Fu Jiaxi slowly averted her gaze, unwilling to accept. “So, are you also going to condone this behavior?”

Yue Jincheng replied calmly, “Anything I can foresee, the schemer would have foreseen too. In the end, he’ll drag you into the mud, labeling you as equally culpable. Moreover, unlike him, you’re in no position to protect yourself. Your company is obscure, struggling to survive—it won’t fight for you. Meanwhile, he’s deeply rooted in the industry and has countless ways to retaliate once things settle down, ensuring you can’t stand in this field anymore.”

Fu Jiaxi’s eyes burned with raging flames. “I understand. President Yue is shielding scoundrels, but you really didn’t have to scare me like that.”

Yue Jincheng remained calm and objective. “At this point, cutting losses and avoiding harm is also a form of capability.”

Fu Jiaxi’s carefully maintained composure shattered completely after three days.

She pushed Yue Jincheng’s hand away, the fallen ice pack freezing a rift between them.

“Thank you, President Yue, for your enlightening lecture—it’s all very valuable knowledge,” she said coldly. “But I refuse to accept it.”

Rising abruptly, the pain in her ankle intensified.

She slipped off her heels, holding them in her hand, and strode away resolutely.

Yue Jincheng watched her stubborn back, his gaze intense and silent.

________________________________________

With her last hope shattered, Fu Jiaxi’s fighting spirit evaporated entirely.

She didn’t even want to return to the company, sitting numbly in her car for two hours. She listened to music, tuned into the radio, and scrolled through mindless short videos to distract herself.

When it was time to pick up her child, she reported her leave to President Xu.

The leader responded: “Rest well. Your performance has been excellent. On behalf of the company, I thank you.”

Fu Jiaxi sighed lightly, almost resigned to reality.

The next day, she returned to work as usual.

Unless something unexpected happened, the bid results would be announced at 10 a.m.

Her teammates seemed to have reached a tacit agreement—calmly handling their work, not mentioning the results, and harboring no expectations.

Fu Jiaxi stared blankly at a thick stack of documents on her desk.

There were far too many instances of fruitless labor in life.

“Jiaxi!” A sudden exclamation broke the silence.

Fu Jiaxi focused. “What is it?”

“The Osto results are out!” her colleague exclaimed excitedly. “It’s not Jinyu!”

“What?”

“It’s true—Jinyu lost.”

Fu Jiaxi digested the shock, opening the webpage to find Osto’s announcement. Unexpectedly, it confirmed the news.

She dialed a close friend in the industry who worked in Osto’s operations department.

Her friend explained, “Headquarters Boss happened to be visiting the Asia-Pacific region. When the proposal reached him, he personally intervened and disqualified Jinyu.”

Fu Jiaxi asked, “Did they give a reason?”

“They did. He quoted an ancient saying—’Cunning deceit is inferior to clumsy honesty.’”

Fu Jiaxi was baffled.

Her friend revealed, “Apparently, the head of the business department, Lin, contacted Qin He at Jinyu multiple times to confirm whether the proposal was personally overseen and written by you. He said yes. Lin emphasized that integrity is paramount when selecting partners.”

After ending the call, Fu Jiaxi’s thoughts stirred.

She opened the webpage and easily found the resume of Osto’s president.

His alma mater? MIT.

The same major, the same graduating class as Yue Jincheng.